Kobe Says There’s No Chance He’ll Seek Trade From The Lakers. Is That A Good Thing?

Four games into the season, the Lakers are winless, and Laker star Kobe Bryant is no doubt restless. Kobe says, though, that there’s no chance he’ll push for a trade from the struggling Lake Show. As if that’s a good thing.

With the Ghost of Steve Nash more likely to take on an assistant coaching role than to step onto the court, and with Julius Randle out for the season, it’s down to Kobe Bryant, Jeremy Lin, and Carlos Boozer to breathe some non-Clippers excitement into Los Angeles, but it’s not looking good so far.

Following a 127-104 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers dropped to 0-4 on the year. Calling that an inauspicious beginning to the season is an understatement on the level of saying that Steve Nash just needs a little rest. The Lakers are in dire straits the likes of which Laker fans haven’t seen since the heyday of Smush Parker – too soon? – and things don’t look like they’re going to get any better.

So what’s a historic NBA franchise to do when faced with such an abyss? Laker fans are used to dramatic Hollywood miracles rescuing the team during dark days. The Pau Gasol robbery trade was one such deus ex machina, and the scuttled Chris Paul trade looked like it could have been another until David Stern put the kibosh on that deal. There’s been talk of other mid- to big-time players coming west to Los Angeles, but nothing is certain as of yet.

The Lakers have to move fast, though, as that 0-4 start puts them into a considerable hole in a Western Conference, where last year just six games separated the fourth place Houston Rockets from the ninth place (just missing the playoffs) Phoenix Suns.

So, is it time to consider trading Kobe?

No, not quite. First, there’s Kobe’s own statements, in which the Laker guard said there’s no chance that he’s going to push for a trade.

“I hear the chatter of ‘Kobe should ask out’ and ‘He should go and play for a contender in this latter stage of his career,'” Bryant told Yahoo Sports. “But that’s not what I do. I’m extremely loyal to the Lakers.”

“I believe in fighting through the tough times as well as enjoying the good times,” Kobe continued. “It’s my responsibility to get us to be the best that we can be. It’s important that we approach that on a day-to-day basis.”

That’s sweet and all. Almost as if nobody would notice that Kobe’s massive, $48.5 million anchor contract extension isn’t hampering the Lakers‘ shot at landing someone other than spare parts Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer.

Beyond Kobe’s own protestations, there’s the question of what exactly the team could land in exchange for Bryant. With managed minutes, Kobe will likely be able to produce at a solid level for the next two years, but the Lakers need young talent to build on for the Post-Kobe Era. It’s unlikely that many teams in the league would be willing to trade away such talent in order to grab Bryant, who has already played 19 seasons.

There’s also the question of what the Lakers would be left with were they to trade Kobe away. It’s not like the Lakers are just one, two, or even three players away; the team is by most accounts fully adrift as evidenced by their record. Charles Barkley doesn’t even want to see them on national television any more, and it will take more than one trade to turn the Lakers around.

There’s also the tiny matter of the No-Trade clause in Kobe’s contract. That’s something that would have to be dealt with, of course.

So, Laker fans, sorry to say, it looks like we’re stuck with Kobe and an atrocious squad for the foreseeable future. There’s still the possibility of a blockbuster deal bringing more talent to the squad, but odds are that that would only lead to a massive scramble to eke into the tail end of the Western Conference bracket.

On the bright side, though, Kobe’s restated commitment at least means we won’t hear him crying on the radio and asking for a trade this year.

“I bleed purple and gold,” Kobe told Yahoo News this week. And that’s lovely, but Laker fans might be more concerned about the team hemorrhaging wins as of late.

[Lead image via Business Insider.]